Santorum pokes Newt ‘grandiosity’

Rick Santorum doesn’t think much of Newt Gingrich’s suggestion that he get out of the race and allow the former speaker a clear shot at Mitt Romney.

Asked about Gingrich’s suggestion that he’s not up to the job of transforming the country, Santorum paused before answering: “Grandiosity has never been a problem with Newt Gingrich.”

“A month ago, he was saying, 'Oh, I’m inevitable.' It was, 'I’m destined to do it,'” Santorum said, recalling Gingrich’s confidence ahead of his defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the Pennsylvanian fared better.

“I was 2 and 0 going into South Carolina, and I should get out of the race? These are not cogent thoughts. Let’s just be honest,” Santorum said, promising Republicans that he wouldn’t give them any such “worrisome moment” in the general election. “I’m steady. I’m solid. I’m not gonna go out and do things that you’re gonna worry about. I’m gonna make Barack Obama the issue in this campaign.”

Gingrich pushed back by embracing the “grandiose label,” declaring: “This is a grandiose country of big people doing big things.”

Big things, he said, like taking over the House of Representatives in 1994.